


A Date with Disaster

by Mashed_Taters



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrienette at end, Car Accident on YouTube, F/M, Miraculous Tales Original, Some angst, selfless Adrien, she's not just a friend, stop lying to yourself Adrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23868985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mashed_Taters/pseuds/Mashed_Taters
Summary: This is it. This is where I die. Though she is secretly the fearless superhero who defends Paris, Marinette Dupain-Cheng's legs freeze when it matters most. Will her mistake cause the life of the one she loves most?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> What's up, ya'lls? Thanks for checking out this story lol.  
> I don't own Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, it's owned by Zagtoons  
> The story-line belongs to Miraculous Tales, who has so graciously allowed me to write a fanfic based off their idea. I only own the prologue, epilogue, and any minor characters I've added in. Check out the original at:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmLpqWphrpw

The room was dim, smelling faintly of wood and dust. A small fire, the only source of light in the vast, seemingly ancient chamber, gnawed hungrily on a charred log, desperate to stay alive even though the once roaring fire would soon be extinguished. Though a steady source of heat was released from the struggling flames, the room held an ominous chill.

On the fireplace’s mantle sat an old record player, though it seemed innocent at first sight—perhaps an heirloom or just an antique picked up at some point—it held a dark, yet a quite mystical secret. Designs ran along the sides of the record player, laughing as they raced the spinning disc that gently sighed the music that filled the room. The minuscule light reflected off the metal parts on the player, boasting its erotic shape and casting off an eerie glow in the process.

The walls were lined with bookshelves stuffed to the brim with books so old that each word inside the spines must’ve possessed a fine layer of dust. The stories spilling from the books told of the times of yore—the times when the despised super-villain, Hawkmoth, decided to take innocent Parisians and use them as his prey to do his bidding. These were also the times when the two superheroes, Ladybug the kind and the cunning Chat Noir, arose using special jewels called the Miraculous to save Paris from its adversaries, and vanquish the mastermind behind the akumatized villains. 

Once Hawkmoth had been dealt with, the Miraculous holders were no longer required; Ladybug and her partner vanished. It had been nearly a hundred years since that fated day, and not many remained who knew the two lionhearts. Be that as it may, the tales of the heroes and their selfless deeds were passed down through the generation; they were a permanent part of Paris’s history.

Fitted snugly in the corner of the room farthest from the door sat a woman, clearly aged by the stringy gray hair that clung to her scalp in slightly matted clumps and the wrinkles that rolled off her skin. Each part of her, from her long, slightly twisted fingers; to her back, which carried a small, painful-looking arch; to arthritic feet covered by fluffy pink slippers, bore a story that could only be understood if one was there to witness it. 

Though now frail and old, the woman had once been beautiful—her long thick black hair carrying the slightest touch of sapphire framed a gentle, youthful face overflowing with love and wonder of the world surrounding her. Her eyes, blue as the sky, sparkling like the great oceans themselves the sun reached down to caress just after twilight, taking in the sight of the handsome blonde boy she would one day refer to as husband. However, now, those same eyes glimmered sadly in the feeble light, containing a kind of dullness that can only be attained by facing and triumphing against many hardships throughout life. It was easy for one to look at the woman and be overcome by pity at the sight of her.

Slowly, the woman rocked back and forth on a chair seemingly as old as she was. With each rock back, the chair complained with an eerie groan, which provided a sort of tempo for the woman as she hummed along to the gentle music floating through the room.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the room, however, was not the frail woman, or even the quite mysterious record player on the mantle. It was the small red creature positioned on the woman’s knee, sitting so still and quiet that she could’ve easily passed for a small stuffed toy or a figurine of sorts. The occasional twitch of her chest as she breathed was the only thing that betrayed her of being inanimate. On the very top of the creature’s head was a large black dot, accompanied by two more on either cheek, and protruding out of the sides of her head was a pair of antennae that fell past her blue-black eyes and popped out against her red skin. The creature turned to face the woman, revealing what might’ve been a short tail, or a set of wings.

“What time will she be her master?” she asked in a small voice, squeaky against the near silence of the room. She gave a small squirm of excitement—it had been since before the woman’s husband had passed, nearly forty years, that she had been outside the walls of the house. The woman, herself, normally didn’t leave the solitude of her home; the last few times she had was to choose the boy who had arrived a few days prior and left with a cheese-addict, yet lovable creature similar, but not identical to the one on the woman’s lap. The most recent time had been to choose the girl whom the red creature was waiting with bated breath for.

“Could be any minute now, Tikki.” she sighed, her voice wavering and her heart aching with dread, as she knew that when the girl left today, the woman would be parted with her oldest and most loyal friend. But, alas, Paris needed its Ladybug and Chat Noir back, and as the keeper of the Miraculous, it was her job to decide which hands the gems would end up in.

As they waited, the woman slowly closed her eyes and allowed a memory, one of which seemed to the woman as if it happened only days before, overtake her senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters will focus on her memory, as that is the main story-line. Thanks for reading the chapter! If you have any thoughts, drop a comment.  
> See ya next time!  
> -Tater out 🥔


	2. Au Revoir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _This is it. This is where I die _. Though she is secretly the fearless superhero who defends Paris, Marinette Dupain-Cheng's legs freeze when it matters most. Will her mistake cause the life of the one she loves most?__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be able to update this quickly all the time. I had started this chapter soon after the prologue so it was finished faster.  
> Miraculous is owned by Zagtoons, story-line is owned by Miraculous Tales on YouTube. I only own prologue, epilogue, and any minor characters I've added in.  
> Check out the original at:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmLpqWphrpw&t=110s

_“Marinette, I’ve always loved you,” Adrien whispered, running his fingers through the girl’s soft, mid-length, dark hair. He played with the strands, curling them around his fingers before gently tugging and letting the ends bounce back into place. Marinette closed her eyes for a moment, treasuring the sensation, one of which it felt like she had waited several lifetimes for. He loved her—Adrien Agreste, heart-throb of Paris, could’ve chosen any girl in the world, but he chose her. Though the time had come with many frustrations and the chase was long and hard, finally being with the one she loved was worth the wait._

____

____

__

_____ _

_____ _

_Adrien loves me! Adrien loves me, her heart sighed._

__

_Marinette blushed as the blonde boy leaned toward her, “I-I love you, too, Adrien,” she replied. Though her voice was barely a whisper, she prided herself at being able to tell her feelings to him without spitting out her famous ‘Marinette word-vomit’ as Alya liked to call it. She closed her eyes again, anticipating the kiss just before Adrien’s soft lips tenderly brushed against hers. After a moment, she felt his tongue press up against her teeth, silently asking permission for it to enter her mouth and she complied. Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien’s shoulders and allowed her fingers to wander into his hair._

____

____

____

_Soon, to Marinette’s disappointment, Adrien pulled away. Though he laid his chin on her shoulder and pressed his lips to her neck. There was something so beautiful about it—she wasn’t sure what it was, but something about it melted her heart. Adrien let out a deep, content sigh—she could smell the mint hovering on his breath, and it was intoxicating—like some sort of drug that she had been exposed to and now couldn’t live without._

_“Someday, I’m going to ask you to marry me.” He murmured, placing another kiss on her neck._

_“Someday,” Marinette smiled, her heart soaring, “I’m going to say ‘yes’.” Adrien pulled his head back and stared into Marinette’s eyes. They shone brighter than she had ever seen them and knowing that she was the cause of his happiness made her giddy. She gave him a goofy smile, unable to stop the words that came out next, “Can we get a hamster?”_

_Adrien laughed, the sound music to Marinette’s soul, “Of course! And we’ll name it—,”_

____

____

The final bell at François Dupont High School rang. The sound, shrill and sudden, caused Marinette to jump as she was pulled out of her daydream she was caught in while staring at the back of Adrien’s head. He shifted, gathering his bag, and as he did, Marinette noticed a small bulge about the size of Tikki in the side of the white jacket he wore over his black shirt nearly every day. However, before she could process what it might have been, it disappeared. She shook her head, gathering her belongings, trying to convince herself that she was just imagining it. She glanced back up, blushing as her gaze met Adrien—what had she done right throughout her life to get a boy as amazing and perfect as him to even notice her? Marinette gave a small sigh of happiness as she stood, ready to head home for the day. 

“Don’t forget about the test on Monday. Have a great weekend!” Miss Bustier called through her classroom, organizing the stack of worksheets that had been turned in minutes before. 

“You too, Miss Bustier!” the students cheerfully chorused back to the highly favored teacher. 

“So, Marinette, what are you planning to do tonight?” Alya asked her best friend as they walked out into the hallway. 

“Well,” Marinette began, glancing back to see that Adrien and Nino were following close behind her. They were far enough away that they couldn’t hear each other’s conversations, but just near enough that Marinette could still make out the sparkles behind Adrien’s emerald-green eyes. Her face heated up when the handsome blonde presented a sweet smile and waved. She flashed him a quick, nervous grin, “M-my parents need help in the bakery. We’re supposed to be getting a shipment later today to refill our stocks. Maman and papa need my help to unload the truck. What about you?” 

“I’m hanging out at Nino’s. We’re testing out Max’s newest game. And,” Alya raised an eyebrow as she held up her new phone, the Ladybug charm dangled off the bottom of the device “If a certain superhero duo decides to make an appearance, I’ll be there faster than Chat Noir can call Ladybug ‘M’Lady’.” 

Marinette giggled as they headed outside the school, “Ladybug has a life, too, you know. I mean, whoever she is.” 

“I know that, girl! But if an akuma does appear, she needs to be prepared. Hawkmoth could strike at any second!” 

“She always is. Remember, after Stoneheart was defeated, she promised to do anything in her power to keep Paris safe. You have nothing to worry about, Alya.” she pointed out, “You take my job more seriously than I do!” Once the words were out of her mouth, Marinette paled. She had just admitted to Alya that she was Ladybug! The cold sensation of dread inched its way up her veins and she winced, hoping that her observant friend hadn’t noticed her slip-up. She could feel Tikki shifting uncomfortably in her purse—she knew the ancient kwami wouldn’t be happy. 

“Wait, what?” Alya asked 

Marinette’s brain struggled to find an excuse. However, as she had little to no filter to her mouth, she staggered over her words as she spoke, “Uh, go away. I mean, help! No, not it that. Take you. No, you take Bug-Lady’s, I mean Ladybug’s job more seriouser—seriously—than. She. Does?” 

“Whatever, that’s supposed to mean. But, who said anything about me worrying? I just want all the awesome deets for my LadyBlog.” She paused, and Marinette let out a sigh of relief. “Could you imagine if Ladybug was actually someone in _our _class? Or if we knew who her secret identity was? How cool would that be?!” Alya nearly shouted, grabbing her best friend’s shoulder and Marinette stumbled to keep her balance.__

____

____

The bluenette stiffened and let out a small squeak of nervousness. She then grimaced, unsure of whether Alya’s sudden outburst was because she had slipped up, “Y-you don’t say?” she stuttered, “For all we know, Paris doesn’t even live in Ladybug!” 

“You mean, Ladybug doesn’t even live in Paris?” Alya rolled her eyes, nudging Marinette’s shoulder. 

“Yeah….that. Well, gotta go! Bye!” Marinette called, running backward so she could offer a wave, and bumping into a pedestrian in the process. As she ran off she could almost hear Alya saying 'that girl,' and affectionately rolling her eyes at her best friend’s back. 

“Whew, that was a close one, Tikki.” She muttered, opening her purse slightly so she could look at her kwami as she spoke. She stepped on to the pavement of the road, not thinking to look as she crossed the usually empty street. 

“She must never find out that you’re Ladybug. That would be dangerous for both her _and _you.” Tikki squealed__

____

____

“I know, Tikki. I’m sure she would never tell anyone though.” she sighed, “It’s just hard, leading this double life and all. Did all of your other Ladybugs have trouble keeping their identities secret?”

“It varied per Ladybug. Some had no problem keeping it a secret. A few of them had trouble. The first Ladybug, someone found out her identity; it caused her ultimate destruction. That’s why we kwamis do everything in our power to make sure our chosen is kept a secret. And, Alya runs the LadyBlog. What if she accidentally called Ladybug you while filming? If she did, then everyone would know who you are! She can’t know, Marin--,” Tikki was cut off by a yell. 

“Marinette, look out!” a voice screeched in utter horror. 

Marinette’s head shot up in time to see a small blue car hurtling at her. _This is it. This is how I die _, she thought when her legs, frozen in panic, refused to move. She silently cursed herself as the car only came closer, leaving dust and dirt flying in its wake. She was Ladybug, damn it! She was put into worse situations every day with Hawkmoth lurking around in the shadows of Paris. How come the one moment she was out of her suit, all she could do was freeze up when she was thrown into a danger? _Damn it, damn it, damn it! _Why couldn’t she just move her legs? Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, accepting her fate and awaiting the impact of the vehicle. However, the impact that came was not what she expected; she was thrown to the side and sent stumbling. In a desperate attempt to catch herself, she thrust out her hands and fell on the opposite side of the road. A sudden pain slashed through her hands and knees, as they were scraped in the attempt to break her fall.____

___ _

____T-h-u-m-p _. The sound of squealing breaks, a pain-filled howl, and a body crunching on the ground filled the air. Marinette slowly turned around, afraid to see what damages she would see. However, the scene that she looked upon was worse than she could have ever imagined; there, about ten feet away from where she had been standing only seconds before, Adrien Agreste’s broken body laid in an only growing pool of blood. A scream, whose it was, she wasn’t entirely sure, entered her ears.___ _ _

___  
_ _ _

_Adrien’s POV:_

__  
_ _

"So, dude. Alya and I are meeting up to try out Max’s newest game. He told us that he had based it off of Ultra Mega Strike III. You should come join us!” Nino offered, throwing an arm around Adrien’s shoulders. 

“Sorry, Nino,” Adrien began. He glanced forward. Up ahead of him, Marinette was walking with Alya. She looked back at them and Adrien’s heart rate increased; he fought the blush that he could feel forming in his cheeks as his eyes laid upon the girl. The model smiled and waved at the bluenette and immediately, her face burned bright red. She gave an endearing nervous smile and turned back to Alya, “My father is expecting me to make an appearance at the Agreste Charity Foundation tonight. I wish I could come with you, but I can’t.” Adrien sighed, silently cursing his job. 

"That’s okay. But your old man has got to give you time to be a kid, too. Like, seriously, does he even know that you’re only fourteen? You shouldn’t have to be an adult yet!” Nino scoffed, “By the way,” he shot Adrien a goofy grin, “when are you going to finally tell Marinette that you like her?” 

Adrien shook his head and smiled, “Come on, Nino. You know she’s just a friend.” His voice, however, didn’t even convince himself—he could feel the doubt wreathing through his insides; just looking at her a few moments before almost turned him into a blubbering mess. Was she _really _only a friend? For a moment, Adrien let his mind wander to what they could be.__

____

____

_Marinette stared lovingly into his eyes. A gentle breeze ruffled through her hair, displacing the strands as she sat on a swing in a playground. Out of the corner of his eye, Adrien watched her as she placed a hand on her stomach while pushing herself just enough for the swing to slowly move back and forth. She slipped off her sandals and dug her feet into the sand covering the ground, allowing the grains to wash over her toes. Next to her, a baby swing was occupied by a child that looked to be around four. Her blonde hair whipped in the wind and she squealed in delight of the sensation of flying. Adrien, once again, pushed the child in the swing, chuckling at her cheers._

_“Again, daddy!” she laughed, throwing her hands up with glee when the swing slowed, almost to a stop._

_“Hold on, Emma!” Adrien gripped the chains of the swing, giving the girl an extra hard push and she squealed again. He laughed watching the child—he applauded the girl’s bravery as she faced the height head-on. Adrien remembered his mother telling him stories of him being afraid of heights as a toddler; he distinctly remembered her telling him that the first time he had been on a swing. According to the story, he had loved it, that is until his father pushed the swing. After that, he couldn’t get out of the child seat fast enough._

_“Mommy’s turn,” Adrien called, stepping behind Marinette’s swing._

_“You don’t have to, mon Minou,” Marinette laughed, looking up so she could see Adrien’s loving gaze raining upon her._

_“But what if I want to, M’Lady?” he asked, peering over his wife’s shoulder to watch her hold her stomach, heavy with yet another child._

_She gave a small gasp, “Louis is moving!” Adrien reached around the swing and placed his hand next to his wife’s. After a few moments, he could feel a kick; love for the unborn baby washed throughout his body. He turned his head and kissed Marinette’s cheek; she leaned into his lips and smiled._

_“You never answered my question, M’Lady,” he whispered into her ear; he felt her shudder as he did._

_“If you must.” she sighed in faux annoyance. Adrien gently pushed Marinette’s back. Her hands latched on to the chains and she carefully leaned backward and stuck out her feet as the height of the swing grew, “Woooo!” she cheered _. But as Adrien watched the scene play out in his head, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of sadness as he and Marinette called each other the pet names he and Ladybug had for each other. And no matter how much he fought it, he couldn’t stop himself from wishing that Ladybug was sitting in Marinette’s place instead. _Ladybug is the one I love. Marinette, she’s a very good friend. _Though, icy doubt still pierced at the back of his mind.____

___ _

___“Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude,” Nino replied, unconvinced, pulling Adrien out of the scene._ _ _

___ _

___Adrien glanced back up to see Marinette running backward, waving nervously at Alya. As she did, she bumped into someone passing behind her; she giggled and offered an apology before she walked into the road, speaking into...her purse?___

_____ _

_____ _

_That girl, she’s something for sure. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you will be the death of me _, Adrien thought, fighting another blush.__

__  
_ _

A flash of blue caught Adrien’s eye, drawing his attention away from the girl. A car, whose driver wasn’t paying attention as he could see the driver focused on his phone instead of what was on the street ahead, hurtled straight at her. 

"Marinette, look out!” He screeched, ignoring Nino’s cry of shock as Adrien’s legs began moving on their own. He watched in slow motion as Marinette turned to see the car. Her face twisted in horror; he could hear Alya yelling at the petrified girl to run, and no matter how much Adrien internally screamed for her to get out of the way, her feet stayed plastered where they were. He jumped toward her, pushing Marinette out of the impact zone of the vehicle without a moment to spare. The car struck Adrien—he could hear the snapping of his leg seconds before excruciating pain, as hot as a fire, shot through his entire body. Something, he wasn’t sure what it was, pierced the leg that had just broken, and the warm blood almost immediately soaked into his jeans. He flew through the air, and as he made contact with the pavement with a sickly crunch, his body rolled, sharp stones digging deep into his flesh and tearing the skin. With a heavy clunk, his head met concrete, opening a gash in it. It jarred his brain and caused him to momentarily blackout. After what he assumed was only a few seconds, Adrien regained consciousness. He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid to open them to see how bad his injuries were, already knowing from the intense pain eating through his body that it was bad. A few tears seeped out of his eyes and slipped down the side of his face, mixing with dirt and blood before tumbling on to the ground. 

“Pl...agg. Are you” Adrien moaned, his voice barely a whisper. He could hardly manage to speak, let alone think, “Are. You. Okay?” he bit back another moan as he spoke, each word needing immense effort to exit his mouth, to the kwami concealed in his jacket. His ears rang wildly and he could feel the blood gushing out of several deep cuts in his body. He tried to open his eyes but closed them again as blood from his head wound leaked in them, coloring his vision a dark shade of red. 

“Kid, don’t worry about me!” Plagg growled, his voice shaking with fear. Adrien already knew that his injuries were bad, but if they had his kwami this worried, he knew there was a high chance that he wouldn’t make it out of the situation alive. Plagg placed a small paw on his chosen in an attempt to save him, and as he did, Adrien felt a strange surge of warmth overtake his body that momentarily quelled some the pain and gave him a sliver of his strength back. Though, after a few seconds, the pain returned at full force and he hissed. 

A bloodcurdling scream pulled the injured boy’s attention away from Plagg, “Adrien!” A few moments later, Marinette ran up to him and pulled his head into her lap. He felt her tenderly cradling his head in her arms as her tears dripped on his face, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” 

_At least….At least she’s safe, _he thought. That was all that mattered—as long as he knew that Marinette was out of harm’s way, he could die peacefully. Ladybug could live without Chat Noir; she never really needed him in the first place. That incredible girl could face any akuma on her own and make it out fine without her silly kitty sidekick. All that mattered was that Marinette was safe.__

____

____

“This is all my fault!” she sobbed. More tears splashed on Adrien’s face. 

Adrien struggled to open his eyes, just managing to keep them in slits, blinking through the blood that flowed freely into his eyelids, “Listen to me, Marinette. This is _not _your fault.” The sight of her beautiful bluebell eyes melting into the tears that washed the blood off of Adrien’s face was enough to tear his heart in two. _The color, it was just like Ladybug’s. _And that was the point when Adrien knew he was losing it—Ladybug and Marinette had absolutely nothing in common. _Well, perhaps they had the same hair and eye color. And a similar voice, but that’s where the similarities ended. _Ladybug was kind and beautiful, not that Marinette wasn’t. But Ladybug, she just had something about her that pulled Adrien in, whether it was her confidence or the fact that she always knew what to do even in rough situations, he didn’t know. The hero was just so alluring to him.______

_____  
_

"If I had only been watching where I was walking, this would’ve never happened!” she argued, brushing his blood-soaked hair out of his eyes and pulling Adrien out of his thoughts. 

Adrien lifted a shaky hand and cupped Marinette’s cheek, leaving a smear of blood on her cheekbone that curved so effortlessly to help form the shape of her face, “This is not your fault,” he repeated, coughing. Something warm splashed on his lips—blood? “I would do it over again if it meant keeping you safe. Keeping you safe, it was worth it and it will always be.” 

Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a hiccup of a sob. A wave of pain washed over Adrien and he gritted his teeth, trying to bite back a cry of agony, though failing when it still escaped his lips. Black spots swam in front of Adrien’s vision. 

_Take me away, _he silently begged. To a place where the ladybugs land on the cats’ noses without fear. To a place where the grass grows long enough to create waves of green while the wind dances through it. To a place where happiness only grows, and a place where there is no trace of pain...Adrien began losing control of his thoughts. The last thing he heard before he was swept away was Marinette screaming “Call an ambulance!” to a group he hadn’t noticed growing around them.__

__  
_ _

The spots grew, covering Adrien’s vision with a blanket of darkness. His eyes fluttered shut and he gave in to the fight. _Take me away, _he thought once more before he was swept away into a pit of nothingness.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He ded lol....*Clears throat*...so I'm sure there's a lot of people lining up to kill me right now.  
> Poor cinnamon roll 😭  
> If you have any thoughts, drop a comment. Thanks for reading (and for not killing me [that is if you haven't already]).  
> See ya next time!  
> ...And... to Miraculous Tales,  
> I've never cussed in a fanfic before, so I hope you appreciated it 😂😂
> 
> -Tater out 🥔

**Author's Note:**

> The next few chapters will focus solely on the memory, as that is the main story-line...They'll be longer than this chapter, i promise lol. If you have any thoughts please drop it in the comments. Tater out!


End file.
